Snow Make-Up

Wawasee Community Schools WILL be in session on Friday, January 20, 2012. This is a snow make-up day for the Wednesday, November 30th cancellation.

School Closing

Wednesday, November 30, 2011: Wawasee Community Schools are closed today. The Wawasee web site is down due to technical difficulties. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Letter to Parents Regarding Chickenpox

Dear Parent:

We have been notified by the Indiana State Department of Health that sporadic cases of Varicella (chickenpox) have been reported in the state. At this time, Wawasee does not have any reported cases.

Although school requirements for varicella vaccination vary by grade, the CDC recommends that in outbreak situations, all school students must have either history of disease, or two valid doses of varicella vaccine, regardless of grade, to interrupt disease transmission. Those who do not have adequate proof of immunity (history of disease or 2 valid varicella vaccine doses) will be excluded from classes and extracurricular activities for 21 days after the date of the last known exposure, regardless of objector status.

Many students in grades 2 through 5 have not been vaccinated with the second varicella vaccination. We are encouraging parents to check your students' vaccination record and take them for the second vaccination as soon as possible.

Students presently in 5th grade will be required to have a Tdap, meningitis, and second varicella vaccines prior to entering 6th grade.

Beginning January 1, 2012, immunization clinics in the state of Indiana will no longer be free clinics. We strongly encourage you to have your child vaccinated with the second varicella and if entering 6th grade in 2012 (or 10 years old), the meningitis, and Tdap prior to January 1.

We will NOT be conducting a school based vaccination clinic in the spring for 5th grade students due to the changes in the state's immunization program.

Please provide your child's school nurse with the date (month/year) of chickenpox disease and dates of additional vaccinations received.

December dates and times for the Free Immunization Clinic in Warsaw are as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm

December 5, 2011: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

The clinic will be closed Friday, December 23, Monday, December 26, and Monday January 2, 2012. There will be no clinic at the Syracuse Lakeland Youth Center in December.

The Immunization Clinic is located int he K21 Health Service Building, 1515 Provident Dr., Warsaw, (574) 267-7028.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Wawasee students healthy!

Allene Dewart, LPN Milford School

Jane Vendrely, RN Syracuse Elementary

Myra Alexander, RN Wawasee High School

Robin Huffman, RN Wawawasee Middle School

Pam Rensberger, RN North Webster Elementary

Inclement Weather Information

Since we are entering the winter season with the possibility of delays and/or closings, we wanted to post some reminders.

1. You can receive notifications regarding information on delays and closings by signing up at weareclosedtoday.com. Click on the Community Members link, the Register Free Account link, and then follow the instructions.
   
2. If we would need to delay on a Wednesday, there would be no SMART Start. The two-hour delay would follow the two-hour delay schedule of any other day of the week.

For a schedule of start times, dismissal times, weather delay times, and SMART Start Wednesday times for Wawasee Community Schools, please click HERE.

WMS Pool Update

UPDATED December 1, 2011: The air quality tests results were received on November 29, 2011. The testing shows that the air in the WMS pool area is well within acceptable ranges for carbon dioxide, chlorine, and other items tested.

There have been breathing problems experienced by competitive swimmers using the WMS swimming pool. We have had an outside firm test the water three times in the past two weeks. Results are OK. An air testing company came on Wednesday, November 16, and ran a five-hour test. Results will be available soon after Thanksgiving. We have planned pool work for the middle school pool, beginning in May. Depending on the air test results, we may have to move up the timeline of that work. We want things safe and will continue to work for that purpose.

Fog Delay

Tuesday, November 15: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed two hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to dense fog.

District Accreditation Visit

Wawasee Community School Corporation welcomes the Quality Assurance Review team members who will be with us Sunday, October 16-Wednesday, October 19. The team will be visiting schools and talking with teachers, students, parents, administrators, support staff, and other stakeholders.

On Wednesday, October 19, in the Wawasee High School lecture room at 2 p.m., the team will present an exit report to the board of school trustees noting things we are doing well and also giving us some things on which we need to work.

The following team members will be with us:

• Dr. Steve Oborn, lead evaluator, is a former school superintendent.
• Mary Mickelson, vice-chair, is an adjunct instructor at Indiana Wesleyan University.
• Bruce Jennings is principal at Bremen High School.
• Rebecca Vaughan is a sixth grade English teacher at Hebron Middle School.
• Gloria Ritchie is a retired educator from Alexandria, Louisiana.
  

Outstanding Student Achievement

Wawasee Community Schools would like to congratulate the 2011 FFA Horticulture Team for their 1st place finish in the FFA Division of the National Horticulture Judging Contest hosted by the National Junior Horticulture Association. The contest took place October 7 & 8. The National FFA Horticulture Judging Contest Winners are

• Seth Helfers, Junior - 2nd Place Individual
• Jessica Wilson, Senior - 3rd Place Individual
• Kaeli Long, Sophomore - 4th Place Individual
• Zach Bussie, 2011 Graduate - 6th Place Individual

The students are coached by Mariah Roberts, Tammy Helfers, and Randy Warren. Congratulations on a job well done!

Academic Coach Mary Lou Dixon Honored at State

Academic Coach, Mary Lou Dixon was recently honored by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) as a finalist for the 2011 Academic Coach of the Year. Strong academic coaches are an essential part of providing a positive experience for Indiana's students, and the IASP is excited to recognize the contributions of devoted coaches across the state.

Mary Lou, coach for Wawasee High School, was nominated by Elaine Bokhart, coach for Wawasee Middle School and Doug and Heidi Heinisch, parents.

Mary Lou's many accomplishments include, but is not limited to:

• Jr Academic Coach 7 years
• Sr Academic Coach 5 years
• 5 time Academic Super Bowl State Finalist
• 2011 Academic Super Bowl Social Studies State Champion

Winning is not the primary reason Mary Lou works with students at this level. Since retirement, she has missed teaching and encouraging young people to achieve at their highest level. She also enjoys history and wants to share her love of the subjects with the students. The amount of time her students spend studying is astronomical. They meet after school several times a week, and on Saturdays she opens her home so the team can study, have lunch together, and build a team camaraderie that endures. Mrs. Dixon also uses her time to solicit funds from both the school and community to provide the students with the materials they need to study. Mrs. Dixon feeds the students' minds with history and builds self esteem along the way, just as she did for those of us that were privileged to have her as a middle school teacher many years ago. Academic Super Bowl enriches the lives of students that want to push themselves academically, and Mary Lou Dixon is there to help them accomplish their goals.

Congratulations Mary Lou!

Wawasee Schools in YMCA Corporate Challenge

The Wawasee School Corporation had 53 staff participate in the Kosciusko Community YMCA Corporate Challenge during the month of September. The Corporate Challenge is about building morale, developing team work, instilling company pride, promoting company recognition in the community, developing networking opportunities, and providing physical and mental conditioning for the staff. We had staff from all of our corporation schools and the Central Office participate in this challenge. Our staff participated in 22 events. Thirty-four Wawasee staff members participated in the 5K walk/run event! Our team got 5th out of the 7 teams for the Corporate Challenge.

We were also awarded the Spirit Award for the challenge. The Spirit Award criteria was:

• Demonstrating teamwork at events
• Level of representation of company employees at events
• Designing a Tiki torch that represents your company and using this in opening ceremonies
• Team mascot present at the opening ceremonies
• Involvement of Superintendent in at least one event
• Having matching t-shirts at all events
• All members of a team having face painted for at least one event

"I was fortunate to meet and get to know staff in other buildings and develop a network of internal resources through this event. Thank you for the support for our school corporation to participate in this challenge!"

Nancy Boston, North Webster Elementary Physical Education Teacher

Trick-or-Treat for Teachers

4R School is once again collecting much needed supplies for the teachers and students of Milford School. On Monday, October 31st from 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Milford residents will be going door-to-door 'trick-or-treating' for school supplies. Items they would like to collect are: tape, markers, paper, glue, pencils, stickers and more. If you would like to collect items, stop by Milford 1st Brethren Church for a collection bag. For more information and a complete list of school supplies, please visit the 4R School Facebook page.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

It's that time of year again. Parent/Teacher conferences will be held at all of the Wawasee Schools this week. The schedule is:

• Wawasee High School - Monday, October 3, 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Milford, North Webster, Syracuse - Thursday, October 6, 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Wawasee Middle School - Thursday, October 6, 3:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.

Fog Delay - September 29, 2011

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of school two hours on Thursday, September 29, 2011, due to fog.

United Way

On Friday, September 30, the varsity football team will be playing the Warsaw Tigers at Warsaw in the first ever United Way Game. The theme for the evening is 'A battle on the field, but living UNITED in the community'. The spectators for Wawasee and Warsaw will be in direct competition with each other. Each school will have donation buckets on their respective side of the field. The money will be collected and counted throughout the game. The winning side will be announced between the 3rd and 4th quarters. The losing school's principal will get to wear the opposing school's shirt all day on Monday following the game. Please support the Warriors on Friday!!

Fog

Tuesday, September 20: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2-hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule due to dense fog.

Update on SMART Start Wednesdays

Wawasee Community School Corporation's administrators and teachers have been working hard on SMART Start Wednesdays. Teachers have been busy doing the following:

• Being introduced to a program Wawasee Academic Monitoring Package that has the capabilities for teachers to be able to see student data and look at in terms of a classroom as a whole or as an individual student in order to better make instructional decisions for students
  
• Collaborating on curriculum in an effort to put curriculum in a format that can be put online where eventually parents and students will have access to the information and so that teachers will be more consistent in what is taught across the district
  
• One of the following (all schools will cover each in the next five months): studying and discussing assessment data specific to their building, collaborating on special education issues specific to their building, learning vocabulary instruction tools to better help limited English proficient students along with studying the assessment data for their limited English proficient students, learning additional math instructional strategies, learning additional reading instructional strategies

The schedule for SMART Start Wednesdays goes through October. Our goal is to have a schedule out prior to the start of each month.

Each school has made arrangements for students to be supervised whose parents need to drop them off at school at the same time they do the rest of the week. For information specific to your student's school, please call the school's main office.

SMART Start Wednesdays

Wawasee Community School Corporation is implementing SMART Start Wednesdays for the 2011-2012 school year. SMART stands for Staff Members Acquiring Relevant Training.

Each Wednesday, school will begin thirty minutes later for students in order for teachers to collaborate and participate in staff development. Buses will run thirty minutes later each Wednesday. Some staff members will be available in buildings in case students are dropped off by parents at school at the same time as the other four days of the week.

Online Registration and Textbook Rental and Fees

• Online registration for the 2011-2012 school year will open on July 18, 2011. You can access the online registration by going to http://www.wawasee.k12.in.us/ and clicking on the ONLINE REGISTRATION link on the left hand side. If you do not remember your Harmony WebID, you can click on Request a Harmony WebID, and the information will be emailed to you.
  This year, textbook rental and fees along with school lunch payments can be made online. You can begin paying online on August 1, 2011.
  
  2011-2012 textbook rental and fees for kindergarten through grade 5 are as follows:
  



• Kindergarten: $88.95



• First Grade: $110.60



• Second Grade: $115.10



• Third Grade: $124.35



• Fourth Grade: $116.40



• Fifth Grade: $112.60



• Textbook rental and fees for students in grades 6-12 are based upon each student's class schedule.
  
  If you do not have access to a computer to complete online registration, you can go to a school in the corporation to register as schools will have a computer lab open during the following times:
  



• Milford School, North Webster School, & Syracuse School: August 4 & 8: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.


• Wawasee High School: August 8 & 9, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.


• Wawasee Middle School: August 9 & 10, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

2011 Summer Facility Projects

There are several summer facility projects going on at Wawasee Middle School and Wawasee High School. Please click HERE for more information regarding the various projects.

Heart of Gold 2011

The Syracuse Elementary School PTO was awarded a Kosciusko Community Foundation Heart of Gold award on May 31 at the Warsaw Center Lake Park Pavilion.

Backpacks with food on weekends have been distributed to needy Syracuse Elementary School youth since last May. PTO Officer Connie Geer is heading up the Boomerang Backpack program. Assistance comes from fellow PTO members, Wawasee High School business teacher Kerry Murphy and his students, WHS football coach Tom Wogoman, area service clubs, and supportive community businesses and individuals.

Grants are anticipated to allow the Boomerang Backpack program to expand to both Milford and North Webster elementary schools next year.

Congratulations to Connie Geer and the Syracuse Elementary School PTO!

Wawasee Community Schools is now on Facebook.

Click here and become a Fan today!

Wawasee Community Schools Going Digital

Wawasee Community Schools Going Digital

Technology changes are heading our way and at a rapid pace. To help our students prosper in tomorrow's job market, technology skills are a necessity. Our corporation vision includes that we ensure our graduates possess:

• Life and Career Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Information, Media, and Technology Skills
• Core Subject Skills with 21st Century Themes

To do this, we need to get technology in the hands of all of our students. The school board has given it’s approval to pursue a 1 to 1 computing (1:1) and digital learning environment for our school corporation.

Please click and view this short video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related

The administrative team and the technology staff understand that buying mobile devices is not going to be the answer to solving all student learning problems. But we do know that students are engaged by using these devices. However, if they are not used or not used properly, they are a waste of valuable resources. A successful 1:1 program requires that we begin to change the way that educators teach and help students invest in their own learning. Individualizing instruction, collaborating, problem solving, and creating products can all be done easier with the use of technology. We do not expect this change to be made overnight. It will be a gradual process over a period of years beginning by changing a few lessons at a time. Every lesson and homework assignment does not need to be digital. There needs to be a blend to better engage all students. Home Internet access will not be required to complete activities like homework. Homework can be downloaded while in school and synced when at school the following day.
We would like parents and students to:

• Take an honest and open approach to this change
• To give their best effort
• Share their opinions in a constructive manner
• Help shape this change to make Wawasee Community Schools the best learning environment it can be for all students

Our current progress:
Infrastructure: Wireless survey complete and access points purchased for Wawasee High School. Wireless surveys are in progress for all other school buildings.
Devices: We have been contacting and visiting other school corporations that have already begun this 1:1 process. We are looking at various models of laptops, netbooks, and tablets. We are also examining different operating systems. Major considerations include the ability to create products, security, online testing, and battery life.
Professional Development: We are planning summer training opportunities for digital curriculum resources including Build Your Own Curriculum, Moodle, Google Apps, and Gmail. These trainings will be continued throughout the school year.

Also, there will be training in the care and use of the digital devices.

Timeline: We cannot afford to give every single student a device next year. The school board has granted us permission to pilot this program with the incoming 9th grade students. Our plan would be to continue adding devices at the 9th grade level and in the second year of this plan, add 5th grade students. We are planning on a 4 year life span for these devices. So over a 5 year time period, every student grades 5 - 12 will have a device. Each year we do not adopt new hard copy text books, more text book rental money will be available to help purchase these devices. Also, during this time period, we will be piloting devices with classrooms in the K-4 grades.

Graduation

Graduation for Wawasee High School will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2011, at 10:00 am in the spectator gym.

Retirements

Wawasee Community Schools would like to congratulate the retirees for their many years of dedicated service!

Cynthia Bryan - Art Teacher - Wawasee High School

William Guinther - LRC Director - Wawasee High School

Mary Hurley - Athletic Director - Wawasee High School

Anna Christine Kline - Math Teacher - Wawasee High School

John Knisely - Math Teacher - Wawasee Middle School

Pamela Pletcher - English Teacher - Wawasee High School

Betty Jo Smith-Roberts - Guidance Counselor - Wawasee Middle School

We wish you the best.

Parents of Children with Disabilities

Marti Thompson, a Milford resident, would like to start a group for parents of children with disabilities, particularly for parents who might not have a support group. The group will be a positive atmosphere for parents looking for solutions and positive support. One goal is to connect parents with agencies and services that will help with the issues parents face. The group will help decide what direction it goes and the frequency of the meetings.

If you are interested or just want someone to talk to, call Marti at (574) 658-4475 or email at tgmjthompson@embarqmail.com.

2 hour delay

Friday, May 20, 2011: Wawasee Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to fog.

Fully-Funded Full Day Kindergarten

Much fanfare was recently made in Indianapolis about fully-funded full day kindergarten for next school year. It is political rhetoric. We presently receive $1030 per full day student for their additional one-half day of attendance. That amount will increase by $20 per student next year. Twenty bucks is not a deal maker or breaker for full-day kindergarten decisions!

For the state to fully-fund full day kindergarten in the same manner as grades 1-12 would require an additional $2000 per student. We presently ask parents to contribute toward our full-day program, based on a sliding scale. Free lunch students pay $10 per week, reduced are $20, and other students are $30. Even though any of those amounts are lower than day care for 1/2 day, we have had to go to small claims court to attempt collection for some uncollected fees. With current state along with parent payments, Wawasee runs an annual deficit for full-day kindergarten.

Although our extra 1/2-day program is a financial drain, no direct student instructional intervention is more effective than full-day kindergarten. Currently, almost half of Wawasee kindergarten students attend full-day. We are increasing full-day kindergarten classes by one at each elementary school. At that level, 75% of our kindergarten children will attend all day. The educational benefits will be great, though we will have to cover a larger financial drain. This is an investment that will pay large dividends for student learning now and in the future.

There are and will be some kindergarten parents who want a 1/2-day program. One AM kindergarten class at each elementary will remain to accommodate those requests.

No facility changes/projects will be needed to accommodate our additional full-day children.

Please feel free to contact me if you should have questions or comments about our full-day kindergarten program.

Dr. Edington

Student Incidents

On Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, there were two separate incidents involving students at Wawasee High School and Wawasee Middle School. Please see the letters from Principals Don Harman and Dennis Howland on www.wawasee.k12.in.us for more information.

Chess Team

This past Saturday was a nail biting time for the Chess Team at the State Competition in Terre Haute. Team A consisting of Josh Matti, Weston Wright, Roj Warstler, and Nick Price won 4.5 rounds to bring home the huge first place trophy. Team B consisting of Coty Mast, Immanuel Patrick, Frank Dush and Nathan Lambert had 3 wins and finished 12th best in the state. Congratulations to the entire Wawasee Chess Team!

Graduation Date

Wawasee High's graduation date has been changed to June 11, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. Please view THE LETTER from Dr. Edington and Don Harman for more information.

North Webster Elementary School Carnival

The carnival is on as scheduled for this evening at the North Webster Elementary School, beginning at 5:00 pm. School crews have cleared the parking lots, drives, and sidewalks. A great time of fun and food is waiting for your family!

North Webster School Carnival

Due to today's snow, a decision will be made by noon concerning the North Webster Elementary School carnival.

Closed

Friday, February 25: Wawasee Community Schools are closed. The teacher work day has been canceled due to snow and road conditions.

End of Trimester Date Change

Because of missed days related to weather, Wawasee Community School Corporation will end the second trimester on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. Report cards will be available after March 7, 2011.

Closed

Thursday, February 24: Wawasee Schools are Closed due to icy road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

Thursday, February 24: Wawasee Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to icy road conditions.

Snow Make-Up Dates

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on the following dates for snow make-up days:

Monday, May 16, for the February 1st cancelation
Friday, June 3, for the February 2nd cancelation
Monday, June 6, for the February 22nd cancelation
Tuesday, June 7, for the February 24th cancelation
*Any future cancelations will be made up at the end of the school year

Teacher Work Day

Friday, February 25, is a Teacher Work Day. Students will not be in attendance.

Closed

Tuesday, February 22: Wawasee Schools are Closed due to poor road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

Tuesday, February 22: Wawasee Schools will be delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to poor road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

Thursday, February 10: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to below zero temperatures.

2 hour delay

Wednesday, February 9: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2 hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule due to freezing temperatures.

School Delay - Monday, February 7, 2011

Wawasee Community Schools will delay 2 hours on Monday due to freezing rain on the roads.

Northridge Boys Basketball Game Postponed

The Wawasee High School home boys basketball game against Northridge scheduled for Saturday night is postponed due to snow on roads.

2-Hour Delay

Thursday, February 3: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed for two hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to poor road conditions.

School Closing - Wednesday, February 2

Wawasee Community Schools will be closed on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 due to drifting snow.

Snow Make Up Days

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on the following dates for snow make-up days:

Friday, February 4 for the cancelation on January 19
Monday, May 16 for the cancelation on February 1
Friday, June 3 for the cancelation on Febrary 2

*Any future days will be added to the end of the school year beginning on June 3, 2011.

Closed

Tuesday, February 1: Wawasee Community Schools are closed for the day.

2 Hour Delay

Tuesday, February 1: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2 hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule.

Snow Make-Up Days

Wawasee Community schools will be in session on Friday, January 21, 2011, and Friday, February 4, 2011. These are make-up days due to the cancelations on December 13 and January 19.

School Closing

Wednesday, January 19: Wawasee Community Schools are closed due to poor road conditions.

School Delay - January 19, 2011

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of classes two hours on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 due to poor road conditions.

Survey Open January 17-February 9, 2011

Wawasee's schools are asking for feedback from teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, and community members. The KEYS Survey was developed by the National Education Association (NEA) and is a research-based, field-tested process. Collecting and analyzing this data will become an important part of our school improvement process and will allow us to begin a reflective, problem-solving dialog that will help enrich and deepen our school improvement plans and efforts.

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete, and parents and community members should take the survey for a particular school in our district. You are welcome to take the survey again for another school, especially if you have students attending more than one school. Each survey can be completed in English or Spanish. Individual responses are anonymous. Since the survey is online, you can complete the survey anywhere you have Internet access.

Instructions for Completing the Survey

1. Go to www.keysonline.org and click on Take the Survey.
2. Type in the school name or zip code of the school for which you are taking the survey: Milford School (46542), North Webster Elementary School (46555), Syracuse Elementary School (46567), Wawasee Middle School (46567), or Wawasee High School (46567).
3. Choose the school for which you are taking the survey.
4. Click on Take the Survey.
5. Choose English or Spanish.
6. Select Staff Survey, Parent Survey, or Community Survey.
7. Click Start.

2-hour School Delay - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of classes on Wednesday, the 12th, for two hours due to snow on the roadways.

Cancellation of Evening Activities - January 11, 2011

Evening activities on Tuesday, the 11th, will be cancelled due to snow. Practices and activities at some schools will continue until 5:30 PM, with all buildings closed at 5:30 to activities. Contact your school for details.